Percy and the Signal
Britt Allcroft & David Mitton |director=David Mitton |producer= David Mitton Robert D. Cardona |narrator= Ringo Starr George Carlin |series=Series 2 |series_no=2.07 |number=33 |sts_episode=Stop the Press |released= * 15th October 1986 * 26th April 1988 * 24th January 1991 * 19th December 1991 * 6th April 1998 * 17th January 2008 |previous=Thomas and Trevor/A New Friend for Thomas |next=Duck Takes Charge}} Percy and the Signal is the seventh episode of the second series. Plot Percy works in the yard and although he works hard, he can also be very cheeky and often plays jokes. One day, Percy is feeling particularly cheeky, and startles Gordon by telling him his train is ready. Gordon immediately thinks he is running late, only for Percy to reveal a line of dirty trucks. Gordon is cross and tries to think of a way to get back at him. Percy then goes to James, and tells him that the Fat Controller has sent a message for James to not leave the shed until he comes to see him. James is delighted, thinking the Fat Controller wants him to pull a special and refuses to leave when his driver and fireman try to take him out. As a result, the other engines have to do James' work as well as their own. Finally, an engine inspector arrives and tells James to move. James tells him about the message the Fat Controller sent. The inspector points out the Fat Controller could not have sent a message as he is away. James is furious and quickly leaves to find Percy, but Percy has decided to make himself scarce. When the Fat Controller returns, he tells both engines off for causing trouble. Sometime later, Percy boasts to Gordon and James that the Fat Controller has sent him to take trucks to Thomas' junction, thinking he was chosen because he is a really useful engine. James, however, thinks it was probably just to keep him out of the way. The big engines then realise that they have a chance to give Percy a dose of his own medicine and claim they were talking about being careful with the signals at the junction, especially "backing signals". Percy, keen to show off, claims that he knows all about signals, but worries as he has never heard of backing signals before. Soon, Percy arrives at a signal set to "danger". However, when its arm moves to "line clear", it goes up instead of down. Percy, having never seen anything like it before, guesses that it is a backing signal, and begins reversing. Percy's driver is shocked and quickly stops him, but Percy insists that it is a backing signal, and tells him what Gordon and James had said. After the driver tells him the truth, Percy is eager to leave before he is seen, but before he can, Gordon goes past and sees that Percy fell for the trick. Humiliated, Percy quickly and quietly finishes his work. That night in the sheds, Gordon and James talk about signals; while they think it is funny, Percy thinks they are being very silly. Characters * Gordon * James * Percy * Engine Inspector * Thomas * Sir Topham Hatt * Edward * Henry * One Little Boy * One Naughty Boy * Annie and Clarabel Locations * Tidmouth Sheds * Knapford * Knapford Yards * Ffarquhar Sheds * The Ffarquhar Stationmaster's House * Elsbridge * Suddery Castle * The Carriage Shed * The Works Trivia * This episode is based on the story of the same name from The Railway Series book, Percy the Small Engine. * In the restored version, in the scene when Sir Topham Hatt was cross with James and Percy, the close-up of Percy looking sad is cut off. * Stock footage from Coal is used. * In a deleted scene, it is shown that Thomas also had to do James' work as well as his own branch line when Percy told him to stay in the shed. * In The Japanese dub, the other engines are heard laughing. * This episode was reran back to back with Donald's Duck on Storytime with Thomas. * This episode marks the first appearance for the exterior of Ffarquhar Sheds in the television series, as the interior was first shown in Thomas, Percy and the Coal. Goofs * When Percy creeps up on Gordon, the red coach's windows and roof is crooked. * Percy's left cylinder is hanging off throughout most of the episode. * When Gordon says "James and I were just speaking about signals at the junction," to Percy, James' face is loose. * In the close-up of Percy's wheels when he reverses from the signal, a wire is visible. * When Percy goes under the pedestrian bridge at Elsbridge, the reflection of a studio member or camera is visible in the shiny part. * The "lower" quadrant semaphore signal which Percy stops at is not the sort that is meant to point upwards; it's suppose to an "upper" quadrant semaphore signal instead. * The wire used to change the signal is visible. * The signal shown in its closeup is different from the signal in the shot where Percy stops at. * Because stock footage is used, Percy's driver is in Henry's cab. * Gordon's eyes are wonky throughout the episode. * When Percy pulls away from Gordon at the beginning, the coal in his second truck is lifted, as is the roof on his brake van. * In the Japanese dub, as Gordon, Henry, and Edward passed James, Ringo Starr's narration can faintly be heard in the background. * In the early Swedish dub, James is referred to as Gordon at one point. * When Percy tells James to stay in the shed, steam can be heard, but no steam shoots out, but in the next shot, there is a lot of steam. * When James leaves the sheds, the track rocks back and forth. * When Percy is backing up to the sheds, no workmen are seen operating the turntable. Merchandise * Magazine stories - Percy and the Signal * My Thomas Story Library - Percy * Engine Adventures - Percy In Other Languages Home Media Releases * My First Thomas with Percy DVD Boxsets * My First Thomas * My First Thomas * Complete Series 1-10 * Classic Collection * Series One and Series Two Double Pack NZ * Thomas, Percy and the Coal and Other Stories * Bumper Video Collection Volume 2 * Thomas Train Set Compilation Video Volume 3 HRV * Duck Takes Over JPN * Thomas the Tank Engine Vol.8 * The Complete Works of Thomas the Tank Engine 1 Vol.3 * Thomas the Tank Engine in Two Languages Vol.8 * Anytime With Percy! * I Love Thomas DVD Collection * The Complete DVD Box 1 FRA * Saved from Scrap GER * Old Iron and 4 Other Adventures * Thomas and His Friends Vol. 4 DNK * The Runaway Train and Other Stories NL * A Nasty Case * The Greatest Stories: The Adventures of Thomas, Percy and Gordon NOR/FIN/ISL * Thomas the Tank Engine SER * Thomas the Tank Engine 3 IN * Down the Mine and Other Stories ITA * A Daring Rescue PHL * Old Iron MYS * Percy and Harold and Other Thomas Adventures * Bertie’s Chase and Other Adventures UKR * A Train Thomas and Friends ROM * Thomas and the Great Runaway DVD Packs * Triple Pack 1 CHN * Thomas and Friends Season 1-4 THA * Thomas and Friends - Volume 5 HK * Thomas and Friends Volume 4 * Thomas and Friends Volume 7 }} de:Percy und das Signal es:Percy y la Señal he:פרסי והסמפור ja:パーシーとしんごう pl:Piotruś i Semafor ru:Перси и семафор Category:Series 2 episodes Category:Episodes Category:Railway Series adaptations